Easy-to-read consumer communications: a missing link in Medicaid managed care

Area of Science:

• Health Communication
• Health Literacy
• Managed Care

Background:

• Transitioning Medicaid recipients to managed care requires effective consumer communication.
• A significant gap exists between the low literacy skills of Medicaid consumers and the complex language of health materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the health literacy challenge in Medicaid managed care communication.
• To provide skills training for professionals communicating with Medicaid populations.

Main Methods:

• The Maine AHEC Health Literacy Center offered "Writing for the Medicaid Market" workshops.
• Training targeted professionals in state Medicaid agencies, enrollment services, and managed care plans.
• Post-training surveys assessed skill development and identified broader issues.

Main Results:

• Workshop training successfully enhanced participants' skills in writing for the Medicaid market.
• Survey data indicated that the training addressed only a fraction of the overall communication problem.
• Inadequate communication planning was identified as a barrier to program success.

Conclusions:

• Improving health literacy in Medicaid managed care requires more than just skills training.
• Systemic issues in communication planning significantly impact large health and social programs.
• A national agenda is needed to address the widespread public health literacy problem.